Groundbreaking ceremony for the Metro Manila Subway project was held on February 27, 2019. Actual construction activities are expected to begin before this year ends.

The main contract or the first part of the design and build contract for the Metro Manila Subway’s first three stations (Quirino Highway, Tandang Sora, and North Avenue) was signed on February 20 with Shimizu Joint Venture composed of Shimizu Corporation, Fujita Corporation, Takenaka Civil Engineering Co., Ltd., and EEI Corporation.

“The Metro Manila Subway will not only be the Philippines’ first underground railway, it will also be one of its most expansive, spanning 36 kilometers, with 15 stations, crossing 7 local governments, passing 3 of Metro Manila’s business districts, and connecting all these to NAIA Terminal 3 in almost 30 minutes or less,” DOTr previously said.

“Partial operability of the Subway with its first three stations is targeted for 2022, while full operations will be in 2025. In its first year of full operations alone, the seminal underground rail system is expected to serve up to 370,000 passengers per day, with a capacity of serving up to 1.5 million passengers per day,” it added.